Speaking-tube.



PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905.

W. J. STOREY.

SPEAKING TUBE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1904.

UNITED STATEs WILLIAM J. STOREY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE MICHI- latented February 14, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

GAN DRUG CO., OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

SPEAKING-TUBE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,288, dated February 14;, 1905.

Application filed August 13,1904. Serial No. 220,596.

To all? whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. STOREY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of \Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speaking-Tubes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to in'iprovements in speakingtubes, and more especially to mouthpiece-fixtures therefor; and its object is to so construct the fixture that there are no screws, bolts, or other parts that may become loosened, detached, and lost and so that the whistle and indicator are effectually protected from injury or disarrangement and a very strong, cheap, and efficient device secured.

To this end the invention consists in the particular construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

A is the cylindrical body portion of the fixture, internally screw-threaded at its rear end to receive the screw-threaded end of a speaking-tube, (not shown,) which may lead to any desired part of the building, an opening A being also provided in the upper side of the body and an opening A at the forward end of the same. Cast integral with said forward end of the body is a vertically extending guideway or slot B, extending above and some distance below the same and provided with the flaring 0r bell shaped mouthpiece B, formed integral with its forward side around the opening A Freely movable within the guideway B is a slide C, provided with allange C at its upper end to engage the upper end of the guide and support the slide, and riveted to its lower tapering end is a knob C by means of which the slide may be lifted to bring the opening C therein in line with opening A and which knob also prevents the removal of the slide from its guideway. hen the slide is raised until the knob engages the lower end of the guide. the opening C will be directly in line with the mouthpiece, and a downward exten sion B of the guide is provided to form a backing for the slide when the same is in its normal or lowered position and prevent its becoming bent or broken.

Secured to a boss around the openin A is a short upwardlyextending tubular protecting-flange D of a size to receive the whistle E, which rests upon the ledge I), formed by the boss within the flange, and is thus detachably supported therein.

Pivotally attached at F to the upper forward edge of the protecting-flange D is the visual indicator F, adapted to rest upon the whistle over its opening in such a position that when a person at the other end of the speaking-tube blows into the same and the whistle is sounded said indicator will be raised by the blast of air and will fall by gravity outward over the upper end of the slide, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, resting upon the upper end of the guideway. here there are several speaking-tubes in the same room, an indicator is necessary to show which line has called, and to obviate the necessity of remembering to replace the indicator after each call the same is arranged so that it will be thrown back over the whistle by the slide when the same is raised by the operator who answers the call, it being necessary to raise the slide before the operator can talk into the tube, said slide falling by its own gravity and closing the opening A when released by the operator.

1 Many persons while using a device of this kind will unconsciously work and turn any screws, bolts, or other loose or removable parts about the device, and in a short time these become detached and lost. This device is cast in one piece with no screws or bolts, the slide and indicator being the only movable parts, and they are so attached that they cannot be taken elf or easily broken. The flange I) projects far enough above the whistle to prevent the operator from easily removing the l same, and at the same time forms a receptacle for the indicator, so that it will not be bent or broken by the operator resting his hand on the body. Should the operator with his linger raise the indicator while talking, the slide being raised will prevent it from falling forward, and therefore it will always fall in the proper position for use. The body being cast is cheap, strong, and durable, and as the tube screws directly into the same it is not easily detached therefrom or broken off.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim is 1. In a speaking-tube mouthpiece-fixture, the combination With a body portion provided with a vertical guide-slot at its outer end and an opening, a mouthpiece integrally formed with the body and extending outward from the edge of said opening, a downward extension on the body at one side of the slot, a slide in said guide-slot having an opening adapted to register with the mouthpiece-opening and backed up by the extension, at flange on the upper end of said slide to engage the guide and support the slide therein, and a knob on the lower end of said slide for operating the same and preventing its removal from the guide.

2. ln a speaking-tube mouthpiece-fixture, the combination with a body portion having an opening in its upper side and provided with a vertical guide-slot at its forward end, a mouthpiece integral with the forward end of the body, a slide within said guide-slot having an opening adapted to register with the mouthpiece, a flange around the opening in the top of the body, a whistle supported within the opening, and a visual indicator pivotally secured to the forward side of the flange and adapted to turn into engagement with the whistle and lie within the flange below its upper edge.

3. In a speaking-tube mouthpiece-fixture, the combination with a cast cylindrical body having an opening in its top and forward end and formed with an integral vertical guide extending above and below the body and having a downward extension, a mouthpiece formed integral with the forward end of the body around said opening, a slide freely movable in said guide against the downward extension thereof and having an opening adapted to register with the opening of the mouthpiece, a flange on the upper end of said slide to engage the guide and support the slide, a knob on the lower end of the slide, a boss around said opening in the top of the body, a flange extending upward from said boss, to a height above the same, a whistle, supported by the boss and fitting within the flange, a visual indieator pivotally secured to the forward side of the flange and adapted to be turned into engagement with the upper end of the guide by a blast of air from the whistle and to be turned by the slide into engagement with the whistle and lie wholly within the flange.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLlAh I J. STOREY.

\Vitnesses:

E. E. APrLn'roN, O'r'ro F. BARTHEL. 

